First Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids First Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union
Coat of arms of the Soviet Union
Longest serving Kirill Mazurov 26 March 1965 – 28 November 1978
Reports to	Premier
Formation	14 May 1934
First holder	Valerian Kuybyshev
Final holder	Vladimir Shcherbakov [ru]
Abolished	26 November 1991
Succession	First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia

The First Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union was a very important job in the old Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). This person was like a main helper to the Premier, who was the head of the government. Even though the title says "first," sometimes more than one person held this job at the same time.

The name of this job changed a few times over the years:

From 1923 to 1946, it was called the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars.
From 1946 to 1991, it was the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
In 1991, for a short time, it became the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Soviet Union.

Outside the Soviet Union, people often just called it "first deputy premier."

What Did a First Deputy Premier Do?
Who Held This Important Job?
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What Did a First Deputy Premier Do?

A First Deputy Premier had many important duties. Each one was usually in charge of a special area, like industry or farming. For example, Kirill Mazurov looked after industry, and Dmitry Polyansky was in charge of agriculture.

They also helped different government departments, called ministries and state committees, work together. Their job was to make sure that plans for the country's economy and social life were followed quickly. They also checked that the government's orders and decisions were being carried out correctly.

If the Premier was sick or away, one of the First Deputies would step in as the acting Premier. This happened in the late 1970s when Premier Alexei Kosygin was unwell. Nikolai Tikhonov, a First Deputy Premier, took over his duties. Also, every First Deputy was automatically part of the government's top decision-making group, called the Presidium.

Who Held This Important Job?

Twenty-six different people held the job of First Deputy Premier. The very first person to hold this position was Valerian Kuybyshev, who started in 1934.

The person who served the shortest time was Lavrentiy Beria, who was in office for only 113 days. The longest-serving First Deputy Premier was Vyacheslav Molotov. He held the job for more than seventeen years! He served under Joseph Stalin, Georgy Malenkov, and Nikolai Bulganin.